frankwestpfahl

[frankwestpfahl]

As we pull back the curtains from our slumber we are greeted with spectacular views of the monastery and fortress on the hill in Würzburg. The sun is shining and although it is an early morning it's going to be an incredible day. We head down to breakfast, a little earlier than normal, as there is a lot to see and do today, and today is the day I've been most looking forward to on this voyage.

After breakfast we meet our guide and head up to the spectacular Residenz in Würzburg. This massive palace was built for the Prince Bishop and has treasures to marvel like Versaille. It seems like everyone with any amount of power wanted to copy Versaille.

Würzburg was almost completely destroyed during the war and this includes this magnificent palace, however, miraculously there were three unbelievable rooms that survived and the art is amazing. We cover the incredible frescos and symbolism. Even the crystal chandeliers made in Vienna are stunning and only cost about $1M per chandelier today...

War is such an ugly thing and the atrocities of the second world war can never be underestimated, but to see the actual destruction and to learn the stories, I hope it is something we can stop around the world.

We then head out into the cold to explore this beautifully rebuilt city along the river Main. The shops, the markets, are all fantastic. We even find an incredible men's department store and almost do some damage, but good news, most items are designed for younger men with much smaller waists. Crisis averted, I avoided a spending spree.

We stop for a quick lunch aboard the beautiful Avalon Visionary and have lunch with some additional new friends from Canada. What a treat. We have such a fun discussion about the world, that we almost lose track of time. We bolt off to change quickly and board our coach.

Next stop, the city I really wanted to see at Christmas time. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is an amazing medieval village and I had the privilege of visiting with friends in 2006 during the summer. Now to see it with all the beautiful Christmas decorations, the Christmas market, the amazing Christmas store and museum and just for us an incredible blanket of snow of the entire city and valley.

Not only were the tourists like us capturing pictures, but the locals including our guide, as it is not common here to have a white Christmas. Marty and I just stroll the streets and take in the atmosphere, architecture, and overall Christmas cheer. We stay long enough for the city to light up with the warm glow of holiday lights along the streets and windows. This really was an amazing highlight of the trip. I wanted to bring back a million new ornaments from the Christmas Store Käthe Wohlfahrt. Käthe owns this town, with the main massive store, but also several others. You can't help but be drawn in like a small kid to the music, the glittering ornaments, the moving items and the giant nutcrackers.

After a short nap on the coach back to the ship. We have time to change quickly and head to our talk about the next day and of course the morning of disembarkation. Tomorrow is going to be a fantastic day to relax, we will be sailing in the morning and learning how to bake cookies, we then visit a very small village and sail again throughout the evening to our final stop of Frankfurt am Main. I'm looking forward to that.

Our group has now grown to a party of 12 so we head to the restaurant to try to get tables all together and after some rearranging we are all set. We still need to include two more, hopefully tomorrow night. After hysterical conversation and laughter and a very leisurely dinner we head up to the lounge for some entertainment. Tonight we have a violinist that will be playing show tunes and other incredible genres. He is fantastic and we just relax and enjoy ourselves.

Look at that, it is already way past my bedtime. Time to head to dream land and replay all the amazing blessings of the day. I hope you are having an amazing holiday season and slowing down to enjoy all the spectacular magic and wonder this time of the year brings. Wishing you a very good night from the river Main in Germany. Guten Nacht, schlaf gut.

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[frankwestpfahl]

As we wake from our slumber, winter is here in beautiful Nürnberg, the snow is falling and it looks like a snowglobe. As we quickly discovered, although cold and snow was very common here, it hasn't been in the past several years and people aren't used to this amount of snowfall. I'm just glad I can just enjoy it and not have to drive in it.

We are truly river cruising and today it begins, up early to rise and shine and enjoy a lavish breakfast buffet. Then, we are in Germany, promptly at 9:00 am we leave for our tour: Rally Ground Tour. We have an excellent guide and she does a great job in just a little over two hours breaking down how Germany fell into Nazism and the ramifications of this on history and how the country has adapted and changed as a result. She took an extremely complex subject and broke it down with facts. I also really appreciate how she covered how people when they hear something enough will believe it and gave a great example of her father who was in the war.

Again, visiting this point in history can teach us so much about today and current events that seem to be repeating.

It is a cold day, but so beautiful out, after the morning tour it is back to the ship to warm up and enjoy lunch. This is a very welcome break as I did not wear the appropriate footwear for the weather and was pretty chilled. After a wardrobe change we headed back into the old town to visit the Christkindlmarkt. It is massive and expansive and something to see, however, they have a lot of shops, but nothing standing out. We then discover the Kindermarkt and wow, this is a kids Christmas Market paradise, with attractions, vendors for them, and animatronics. We try to catch a glimpse of the model trains and it is so much fun to see the kids all in awe of the trains as they go around. We got to take it in from a far, there is something just fun with working model trains.

We stroll the streets, markets, and shops stopping for pictures from time to time. We find the coolest clock at Bang & Olufsen and as much as we want to take it home, that price point is another trip to Europe so we don't have a very cool new clock.

The sun has set, the lights are out, the snow is falling and the kids are sledding. We head back to the port, it's time to change for dinner and watch the ship sail away from Nürnberg. One of the best things about river cruising is meeting people. Tonight we had some new people join us for dinner (Alan and LaRoy), it was a fun lively conversation that went into the 80's post dinner. We got to see our new table mate LaRoy play the piano. There are some fun folks aboard and I have no doubt we will have some new friends from this experience.

It's been a day and time to head to bed. Tomorrow we will wake up in Bamberg. I hear it is very cute and was not destroyed in the war. It will be fun to see a medieval village especially in the snow, as the winter weather is supposed to persist all week. Thank you for following us and good night from Central Germany.

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[frankwestpfahl]

It is the time I've been looking forward to, it's the day that we board the Avalon Visionary. Lucky us, we got to sleep in and just chill this morning. We had another lavish breakfast at the hotel, they had a pretty extensive breakfast and today not only were the pastries delicious, so were the pancakes with fruit and powdered sugar. We spent almost two hours just enjoying each other's company, the food, and the atmosphere.

Now full and the sun shining it's time to head up to the suite and pack up. We get everything together and head downstairs to the train station. A perk of the location is we are truly across the street from the station and just feet from the platform. We headed to the location for our carriage and our train although on time departed a few minutes late. It is a very quick and easy ride from Munich to Nuremberg, only one hour.

The river is not in the central part of the city and we opted to get to the ship on our own, so we did a stop for metro tickets and hopped on the U-bahn to our first stop, where we then connected to a bus. We did just miss our connection so we had 20 minutes to wait but it all worked out. We exit the bus and walk forward and there you see the ships lined up and we see the Avalon Visionary. It's maybe a five minute walk across the bridge and to the ship. Before we knew it we were onboard, bag in the room and off to a hearty lunch. Some lasagne on this cold day was the perfect treat.

We then explore the vessel. Our room is beautiful and I love the layout with the full wall of windows. What a great way to watch the world pass bye. We keep exploring and love the lounge at the back of the ship with cookies, beverages, and flavored bubbly water on tap, how cool is that? Although the ship is just 10 years old, it is in great shape and looks wonderful, I think it is even more special with all the holiday decorations and a nice touch of keepsake ornaments waiting for us in our stateroom.

We then decide to explore along the river and see the other ships in port. We make our way down to a lock and it's fascinating to see it from the outside, we have sailed through and will be sailing through almost 50 of them to get to Frankfurt am Main.

Back aboard we meet the crew, the staff, and our fellow travelers. There are 91 passengers aboard and the vessel holds 121 guests, so not full, but not empty either. We meet some new folks from the DC area and enjoy their company over dinner.

I can't believe it is already after 10 pm and it's time for some rest. We have a full day tomorrow touring Nuremberg and the Christkindlmarkt before we set sail for our next port of call. Thank you for following along as we explore Christmas in Central Germany. Sleep well and see you tomorrow.

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[frankwestpfahl]

The Tweedles are at it again. We're off, this year for the holiday's we're trying out a new cruise line. We will be sailing with Avalon Waterways on the Avalon Visionary doing the Festive Season in the Heart of Germany from Nuremberg to Frankfurt am Main. We are both excited to be trying out a new cruise line and a new river, seeing more of Central Germany at the holiday time. Yes, that means even more Christmas Markets.

Ready, set go. I'm just back from Orange County and with just a little over 24 hours at home, spend some holiday time with friends, before packing up and heading to the airport. We are on our usual flight to Amsterdam with a tight connection to connect to Munich. To our surprise we actually make the 27 minutes from landing, through customs and board with group 3. We got to our seats and settled in for the one hour flight, or so we thought.

Nope we have some engine troubles so we are parked until it is repaired. Two hours later we are off and in the air. As we come down under the clouds you can see Munich. They have a fresh new coat of snow and it is like a winter wonderland. We stop first for our first Christmas Market of the season right there at Munich Airport. It's actually a pretty large market with an ice skating rink and everything. A nice welcome to the holidays.

We then head to the hotel and to our surprise they have our room ready for us immediately and we got lucky, an upgrade to the Executive Suite. Not too bad for our home away from home for two nights. To avoid jet lag we get out, you know what they say Frische Luft is good for you. It is chilly here in the low 20's so we bundle up and head out to explore the city and see some markets.

First Market that was recommended by our friends Ben and Camille at Near From Home is the Medieval Christmas Market. It is pretty small, but pretty cool. It's like the Renaissance Fair meets a Christmas Market. Hungry we stop for some sausage, but decide with the crowds to keep moving. It is Sunday afternoon and everyone is out at the markets today.

Christmas Village at the Residenz and this one is small but has a lot of items for kids, including some very cute animatronics telling holiday stories, singing songs and more. This place is packed, like the State Fair on the last day. However, it helps to keep warm. We are going to move to our next, but really need some indoor time.

Marty finds a great small cafe and we stop for cake and tea. It is good, the atmosphere amazing and it's nice to sit and warm up for a while. We planned on going to the Pink Market but we're getting cold so we stroll through the biggest market Münchner Christkindlmarkt.

We make our way to our final stop of the night, dinner. It is next to our hotel and features some traditional Bavarian items. It's time for bed and with only an hour or two of sleep on an airplane, it is easy to do.

I'm combining days and today after a very long, leisurely, lavish breakfast, we make our way downtown and to the English Garden. It is still dang cold, but the sun is shining and when in direct sunshine it is kind of warm, however in the shade with the wind, uff da. The park is stunning with the fresh snow, the sunshine and people out enjoying the day.

We then made our way to our favorite market Schwabing Christmas Market after a stop at the Chinese Tower Christmas Market. The reason we love Schwabing the most is that it is small, has some delicious food items, but has booth after booth of handmade items from local artisans from around the area. All labeled with where they were made and the artist working the booth to tell you about their craft. There were so many things that if we had room in our bags we would have bought. Just amazing and it's so eclectic that I bet at night it is even better. I also love it as it isn't in the tourist area and feels more local.

We stroll back to the hotel to warm up for a while before deciding to make the later afternoon a spa day. We stop for a hot tub and sauna time and just relax. With being outside most of the day, the heat feels great and so relaxing. After a sauna we then head back toward the hotel going past Rindermarkt Christmas Market. We have really hit the markets and are wrapping up the amazing day.

A stop for dinner before calling it a night. Tomorrow the fun begins, we hop a train to Nurembur to board the ship and meet our traveling companions. I'm almost too excited to sleep but need the rest. A river cruise is amazing, but one thing they are not, is relaxing. We do and see so much and we have a busy schedule to see new cities and of course more markets. Guten Nacht aus Deutschland. Thank you for following us on this next adventure.

Tschüs

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[frankwestpfahl]

Good morning Vienna. Although slightly warmer than Berlin that means instead of beautiful snow, we have rain. It's a drizzly, rainy day. We struggle to get moving this morning, as it's cold and damp. We have a very leisurely two hour breakfast before getting ready for the day. Before we know it, it's noon. We have to get going. What to do on a rainy day?

Go to the edge of Vienna to visit a estate that was built for Sisi. It was to entice the empress to stay in Vienna and had hunting and ridding grounds. We make our way to the woods and then walk the 20 minutes in the rain to the estate. The perk to weather like this, we have the grounds to ourselves. The negative, for some reason the house is closed today, although everything lists them as open. The cafe however is open so we relax and just enjoy the tea room with views of the grounds. Just think one lifetime ago the emporere and empress were here.

It's already three and the sun is setting, time to hit Christmas Markets. We decide to hit about half of them today and the other half to tomorrow. We start with the furthest away, that means we take, bus, street car, S-bahn, and train to reach the Belvedere. This charming small market has fun music, however the rain is really coming down now, putting a damper on the mood. We huddle under a shelter for a few minutes before we move to the next.

We make our way to the market at Karlskirche. We've been to this one before. Lots of arts and crafts and usually a donkey not sure why, but the hay was out for them. The crowds are picking up and there are a lot of vendors so it takes us some time to see it all. Not going home with anything but a cool market.

On to a big one and a very popular one with visitors from the US. Maria Theresia, this is a pretty traditional market in a large circle with a mix of food and shops. I'm memorized by the wind charms that seem to light up as they spin, it's just a reflection but amazing. Marty and I try a monster Apple Bretzel, delicious I might add. The rain seems to have stopped. We are now making our way to two more smaller markets.

Winter in MQ is very small and non traditional, it has some curling and that's cool, it also has some food vendors, but it is more an event space and the music begins a little later. I watch some kids try curling before we get completely lost. I love how Vienna has passages, ally's and back areas and Marty and I can't seem to find our way to a street. Eventually we pass through a few passages and find a door that leads to another passage and poof we are back on the main street.

We wrap up today's market at a very cool street one in the city. In the Spittleberg neighborhood there is a long skinny market running the length of the street. This is more like a traditional neighborhood market, with friends all standing around eating, drinking, and laughing. We hang out for awhile and enjoy the atmosphere.

It's getting late and we are wet, chilled and ready to sit down. We're craving a sausage and make our way toward our hotel. We stop at the Weinerstub by the Ubahn station. We should have known better, when you have a lot of guys our age and older just drinking beer they aren't known for their wurst. It fills us up though and now time to get warm and relax back at the hotel.

For those in the US celebrating today I hope you had an amazing holiday. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm. Can't wait to explore more of this interesting city and surrounding woods. Good night from Vienna. See you tomorrow.

Oh, it's funny, no holiday here in Austria naturally today, but all the stores are celebrating black Friday tomorrow. The city is covered in Black Friday savings.

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[frankwestpfahl]

🎶 Hello, Vienna calling... 🎶 We rode the ÖBB Night Jet from Berlin through Poland, Czechia, and arrived in Austria at 7 am. We head to the hotel knowing our room won't be ready this early in the morning but opt to drop our bag. We had breakfast on the train, it's included with your sleeper.

A little droggy, we head to a local cafe to stay warm, have some tea and just relax before we head out on today's adventure. Besides Christmas Markets we also are looking for some shoes, we both have a brand we like and they are made in Germany and I'm happy to say with the current exchange rate they are less here than at home. So we head to our first shoe store.

The sales representative is beyond friendly, however I do forget to translate for Marty some, so every once in awhile he throws in a, "what?" I'm thrilled for him he found a pair he loves at an awesome price. They look great. I tried on a pair that I didn't think I would like, but loved, however they didn't fit. So off we go with one pair of shoes.

We also stop to look at some traditional Austrian clothing. We are both obsessed with the vests and jackets. However, we opt to by pass, there was a beautiful plum color that looked amazing. Off to the next shoe shop and this one we couldn't find. We give up and head back to the hotel to drop Marty's shoes and assess what next.

There are four monster Gas Meters from the late 19th century that ran till the 1980's. They look cool and they have been converted into housing, event space and shopping. We head over to check it out and I'd live there. It's really a cool way to repurpose some original and interesting architecture.

Oh but we aren't done with shopping. While enroute to shoe store three we stumble upon a Christmas Market. We have to investigate. Wow, the smell of fresh roasted nuts, cheese, and sweets fill the air. This market is a smaller local market but has some great holiday orinaments. We are a little peckish and have to get a Wiener Sausage. It's where they drill out a French Baggett and put in a sausage. It's a lot of bread but also filling and warm on this chilly fall day.

Shoe shop number three and I get lucky this time. Nothing of interest in Marty's size, but I find a new pair that fit. Signed, sealed, and delivered. I'm proudly walking down the street with some new shoes. But you know what time it is? You guessed it, afternoon cake and tea time. I went with warm Apple Strudel and it did not disappoint.

I love cafe culture here in Vienna. It is amazing how different the capital of Austria and Germany are. I love them both and they are both multi-culti but that's where the similarities end. If we have to flee the US what do we choose? Hopefully we never need to make that decision and can just keep enjoying them both for all the different reasons.

After checking in to our room, we are excited with a suite upgrade. After the past few nights in the Moxy (nice, clean, good location, just small) it's great to have a separate living room and bedroom, as well as two different bath locations. It's going to be an awesome few nights and way more comfortable than my twin bed on the train. However it was a fun experience.

For the highlight for tonight we head to one of my favorite markets. Kultur- & Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Schönbrunn. It's a beautiful, smaller market, in front of the palace. But it is a great shopping market with a ton of local artists selling everything one needs for the holiday and gifts. I love the glass shop, the metal shop both with beautiful snowflakes and oriniments. There are same amazing painters and potters. I want to buy it all. They even have hand made paper products. I resist the urges and just enjoy the Christmas tree, the holiday carols and time with Marty in this magical place.

It's getting late and time for one last stop. There is a local restaurant/pub across the street that we visit everytime we are in Wien. We love their Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn and tonight was so good, filling and affordable. The staff friendly the food is good, hearty local cuisine and it's a great end to the day.

Exhausted it's time for bed. Tomorrow we will be exploring more of the imperial city of Vienna. No Kangaroo's. Who's calling... 🎶

Wishing you an incredible evening and for those celebrating tomorrow a great time with family and friends. Thanks for following us.

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[frankwestpfahl]

What a difference a day makes. The weather is still cold, the sky is a hazy shade of winter, and the wind sneaks through the streets and nips your nose and ears. However we need some frisches Luft and out into the city we go. We take in a lot more street art as we make our way to Ku'dam. We've got shopping to do, okay well window shopping that is. First up KaDeWe. Yes, it is the largest department store in Germany but I believe in Europe. It's massive.

We stroll and I get very, very, lost. Also the escalators are just confusing. Good thing Marty isn't with me for my smarts. However the circular escalator bank looks like an Escher. We also find the very cool roof top cafe and food court. I didn't realize it had a glass roof up another level. So cool. As we are leaving and saw the line for Louis Vuitton, Marty asked if we could go where normal people shop, lol.

We strolled from shop to shop until we noticed that the Christmas Market that was closed yesterday was now open. It's also usually so busy, so it's fun to be out in the day without lines or crowds. It's starting to get to be tea time so off to Romeo and Remeo for tea and cake. It's nice to take some time to warm up.

After a break we start to make our way to the Christmas markets. First up, Christmas Avenue The LGBTIQA Winterdays. This with live performances will be awesome, it's under the railroad tracks so safe from the elements, with so much sparkle and rainbow. It's fun to visit the first LGBTQIA Christmas Market. However a few of the vendors sold items I would have never thought of for holiday decor, but why not.

We then head back to Christmas Market on Breitscheidplatz. Dinner time and the place is starting to get jumping. We visit stalls, look at beautiful holiday decor and then stop for a favorite Handbrot. Marty does the cheese and ham and I do the cheese and mushrooms. Made fresh, right there in wood burning ovens. So tasty.

We make our way to Alexander Platz for the next few markets. First for a walk through Christmas Market on Alexanderplatz. This has a giant pyramid and some jumping music. We try to visit a Christmas shop, but aren't patient enough for the line so we move on to our next and final for the night, Christmas Market at Berlin City Hall.

It's the first night. The last time we visited this market it was so crowded we did a walk through and left. Tonight, busy, yet we're able to walk and look. They have ice skating, and few rides, amazing food booths and so much more. This market has on select nights where Santa and his Reindeer fly over, it's impressive. We stop for a Thüringer Wurst. It's so tasty and the perfect end to an evening.

We take the S-bahn back to Ost and check to see when our train leaves tomorrow. I panic a bit as I thought it was at 8:53 pm and it's actually 6:53 pm good thing we checked again. It's now time for bed and dream of Christmas Markets and all the delicious sweets. Tomorrow is another day of exploring this dynamic city before we head out. Thank you for following Marty and I as we explore Christmas in Berlin.

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[frankwestpfahl]

The tweedles are back at it. This time our adventure takes us to the incredible capital cities of Berlin and Wien. We are starting out in Berlin and checking out the art scene and primarily Christmas Markets. Although today was primarily a travel day we did have time to get a Curry Wurst and hit Historische Weihnachts. We had ax throwing, archery, delicious food, and fire throwing. The smell of pine and pit fires made the snowy night magical. A great way to start the trip. So much more to come.

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[frankwestpfahl]

Hello,

It's been years, but the entire sales division is together for the Global Leadership Summit at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. What a treat not only to see extraordinary people that I haven't seen in person for years but to be experiencing some amazing product.

I'm thrilled to be staying in the Grand Destino Tower with spectacular views of Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Our full first day is fantastic content and surprise entertainment. Moonshot a local a cappella group was outstanding and reminded me a lot of Pentatonix. They even brought an Enconto mash up and ended with, we don't talk about Bruno.

More great content our second day, including some team time working on fun craft activities. Yep, I did a Mickey Mosaic. The time is flying and it's already time for the farewell events.

A Guardians of the Galaxy party at Epcot. We had incredible 80's and 70's music from a DJ, another number from Moonshot, all sorts of delicious food and drink. It was fun to be dancing again and getting to see Star-Lord and Gamora. After dinner we head out into the park.

We got to experience Ratatouille, Stacy Karp is so right it's an incredible attraction. Plus then a viewing of Harmonious. I had forgotten how this ends with Someday, I now have been listening to the Huntchback soundtrack again. Then the conclusion...

It's time for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Taj, Frank, Hunter and I start out on this amazing adventure. The theming and effects are out of this world. The pre show is so awesome. The crowd is pumped up and cheering. We're ready for an interstellar flight experience. We board our aircraft and we're off.

Wow! This is amazing on so many levels, there is a lot of screaming and perhaps a few colorful explaitives. All I can say is wow, this may be the most amazing attraction I've ever experienced. I was a little worried about motion sickness but the experience is smooth, exhilarating and just plain fun. The final bit couldn't come fast enough for me. Afterwards we all are just in wonder of what just happened. Some people opt to ride again, I opt to head back to the hotel, it's time for bed.

We wrape up this incredible summit with a farewell breakfast and expo. Thank you Disney Destinations Sales Solutions for an awesome conference. It's so good to be back and can't wait to do it again.

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[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

I feel like a scene in a movie. We wake up to the birds singing, and oddly enough they sound identical to the birds on Marty's phone alarm. Perhaps they were the inspiration for the alarm, a sunny morning in Paris. Today we only have one task to complete and then the day is ours to simply enjoy. No plans, no reservations, no agenda, just live in the moment and enjoy, the sights, smells, sounds, and feeling of Paris on a lazy day.

But first let's get the one task out of the way, our COVID test to return to the United States. The good news is that the 24 hour pharmacy less than 500 meters away provides testing for 20 Euros. We stroll over, fill out the form, pay the fee, and then enter a cargo create on the street with a stranger. It's like an action movie and this is how we go missing. A quick nose swab and we're done. Results in 30 minutes or so and they will be emailed. If we don't get the email within 2 hours stop back and they will print a copy.

Task done, now what to do? Seems logical that we should get something to eat. Marty has been the king of locations and found another popular breakfast spot. It's about an hour walk away and with the sun shining we opt to walk instead of the Metro. The streets are coming to life, the markets are opening up, and everyone just seems happy. We get to the spot and they don't offer the virtual queue. We just line up and are advised it could be an hour.

No worries, we have the day. While in line our results come back. We're all three negative we can fly home tomorrow! We use the time to upload to the FlyReady site to check in. Of course it won't let us check in but at least everything shows green and ready for departure.

The restaurant is small and adorable in shades of pink. There are only 15 tables and although a space between them, it's very New York style, people have to move to be seated. We all order different items and they are all delicious, from Tyler's berries and chocolate chip french toast, to Marty's mango and coconut pancakes, and then my savory eggs, and bacon pancakes.

We make our way out onto the street. Tyler would like to exercise his independence and wants to wander Paris without us old guys. It is his trip, so we tell him to go and enjoy and we will see him later today. I guess now it's just Marty and me. What to do? We opted to head to one of the largest markets in Europe to see what we can find. It's not easy to get to and it a bus ride, but we make it to Saint Ouen flea market. Yes it's several blocks long and deep. We stroll the small alleyways and see things like art, mirrors, silver, jewelry, really everything. We even see a 1960's modular home that is in the shape of a space ship, so cool.

You can get lost in here and after a few hours we decide we've seen enough. We did find one shop that we could have spent a fortunate in, well actually several, but it's a good thing we have limited space to fly home. Saved us a lot of money.

From here with such amazing weather we decide to stroll up to Sacré-Cœur again. The streets are full and the steps up steep but we need the excercise after having dessert for breakfast. We make it to the top and stroll to the steps. We find a seat and just take it all in. The street performers today are busy and I'm mesmerized with a guy with a soccer ball on the edge doing all sorts of tricks. He truly is amazing from handstands to climbing lamp polls all will doing tricks with the ball. It's cool to see so many young people fan boying out with him for a picture afterwards. I hope he makes a good wage doing this, he is incredibly talented.

After awhile of looking at the city we decide to stroll back down. We find a cafe along the canal and stop for a coffee/tea. I'm so lucky to be with someone that shares the same interests and passions. I feel like a romance film about falling in love both in and with Paris.

Time to check in with Tyler and see if he would like to join us for dinner. He said he would prefer to be out and about and thanked us for the invitation. So okay we're on our own for dinner. We passed a Mexican restaurant and it smelled fantastic. We pull up a seat outside and figure it must be good, everyone around us is speaking Spanish. It was delicious and we do love our Horchata. The part that they didn't really capture though is the heat. The level was very Minnesota spicy. None, but it was good, filling, and best of all very reasonably priced.

We decide to walk back to the hotel along the canal. This then turns to parks. We stumble upon a bocce tournament. They are playing hard core and teams have numbers and the tournament board. We stand and just watch them play in awe. What a great way to spend the evening. We then continue on and see people working out in the park, strolling and enjoying the flowers, even with a bee sighting.

Marty suggests that we finish the day with a stop to our neighborhood boulangerie. They are getting ready to close up, but are helpful in making our decisions for dessert. Marty gets and Apple tart and I select the berry. It's now time to head back to the room, enjoy our treats and get packed. It's not the earliest morning tomorrow, but no sleeping in for us.

We get packed up and get everything in place for the morning. I check the website to make sure the RER B is running to the airport as it wasn't when we came in and the site says yes. With that, a final look out the window at the skyline and park. It's been an incredible week. I've learned so much about my nephew and I hope he will remember this trip and light a passion to explore and see the world. I also have fallen in love with France and can't wait to come back and explore more. There is so much yet to see and do. Thank you for joining us on this whirlwind trip through some of Western Europe. I guess I now need to add French to the long list of languages I need to learn. Adieu Paris and France I look forward to our return. Bonne nuit.

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#selfie #justfrank #urlaub #urlaub2022 #reise #spaß #friendship #adventure #2022 #spring #fernweh @marty.reynoldsohana #may #funtimes #travel #france #paris

[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

Yesssss, we get to sleep in. For the first time in a week we got up before the alarm went off. What an awesome feeling to get a full 8 hours of sleep on vacation. The weather today looks incredible, big fluffy clouds, cool temps and sunshine.

We're off for a big hearty breakfast back at Holybelly 5, wow the crowd. They have an app to do a virtual queue and it took is some time to get through it entirely in French but we did it. We had some time so we strolled around the neighborhood. We then headed back, and wow breakfast was still so delicious. I loved the eggs on the pancakes and they have a wonderful hibiscus iced tea. Now that we're full it's time.

We have bought tickets on three different occasions to Versailles and today is the day, we're finally going to see the famous Chateau. We hop on the train and we're off. Before we know it were lost. Yes we're to meet our guide under Louis XIV on the horse and we're in a park. Luckily we arrived in enough time to find where we needed to be. We start the tour and I think tourism is back they are welcoming about 12,000 visitors on the weekends now. We enter and it's shoulder to shoulder.

We proceed through the rooms learning about the art and the uses. Some of the history of the building and even when it was opened as a museum. The crowds are overwhelming and not being able to move is frustrating. We get to the Hall of Mirrors and it is really amazing. After the queens room we get to the best part, the gardens.

Within a few minutes a bee is buzzing in my ear, it gets in my collar of my shirt and I try to shush it out and that made it mad, yes I let out a very high pitch squel when it stung me. The good news is that Marty and Tyler asked if I was okay before a giggle at my outburst. Of course I saw this season on Bridgerton and someone dies from a bee sting. Luckily I survived, shook it off and we strolled the gardens. We could have spent hours here and I can't wait to return and explore them more. Great learning for me, Versailles' gardens are incredible, the interior not really needed. Schönbrunn is more impressive inside, with furnishings and information. I'm beyond excited to have finally made it and see why it's one of the most visited attractions in France, after Disneyland and the Eiffel Tower of course.

With Versailles closing time we head back to Paris. With such beautiful weather we decide to get off at the Eiffel Tower and walk along the river. We do tourist things like eat crepes and then sit outside and just enjoy the view and people watching.

We decide to go see the city by night from Sacré-Cœur. Tyler said he's to tired at 7 pm and opts to go back to the room. Yes again these old men out lasted a 20 year old. We head out and up. We take the funiculaire up, that may have been a mistake. People here love to smoke and my eyes are watering from the smell. However we make it to the top and find a place on the steps and just take it in. The crowds, the entertainment, and the city coming to life. It's amazing and I'm so happy to be here.

We then stroll down through Montmartre and just enjoy the views, the cafe's, and shops. We get back to the room and it's time to crash. Tomorrow is our final day and it's a very low key day. We have to get our Covid test to come home but we are then free to explore and enjoy Paris on a Sunday afternoon. I'm falling in love with France and can't wait to come back and explore even more. Thank you for joining us on this journey through Europe with my 20 year old nephew. Bonne nuit.

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#selfie #justfrank #urlaub #urlaub2022 #reise #spaß #friendship #adventure #2022 #spring #fernweh @marty.reynoldsohana #may #funtimes #travel #france #paris #versailles

[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

Today is off and running, not as early as 4:30 but instead a 6:00 am start to the day. I'm particularly excited as today is all new to me from the train experience to the city. We're up and off to Brussels, Belgium. This city is a bit of a mystery, in that it doesn't have a defined identity. What's there? What do you see? Isn't it just a gateway to Bruges and Ghent?

The Thalys to my surprise was completely full, we departed a few minutes late, but wow is the ride smooth and the train fast. We came so close to 300 Km/h. It's wild that Brussels is only 1 hour 30 minutes away. We arrive and the sun is shining, this is rare for Brussels, it rains over 222 days a year, but the sun is out, the breeze is blowing and the city comes to life.

We stroll to our first stop at the Grand Plaza. Enroute we stumble across the gayborhood and it's fun to see even Smurfs embracing the rainbow. We just missed pride here last week.

At the Grand Plaze we meet our guide Max. He takes us for the next three hours through the town, sharing some of the main sights, fun stories and a little history. It's interesting to think Belgium is not even 200 years old yet. They are a country of so many contradictions; they have three official languages, Dutch (Flemish), French, and German. However the students really don't learn the other languages and the different areas don't always include all the languages. It's wild and unique as the country doesnt seem to have a strong national pride or identity. Are they French, are they Dutch, or are they Belgian?

After our interesting walk, we stop at a location our guide recommended for lunch. A great choice with an awesome collection of 50-70's solo artists. The vibe is amazing and the food traditional Belgian. We hear some songs we know and love in French, like It's Bitsy Polkadot Bakini. After a hearty lunch it's time to head to the Auto Museum. Tyler is really liking the city and wanted to check out the cars.

We let him explore and enjoy the sunshine in a beautiful park. They are setting up for the 20K race this weekend. With such beautiful weather everyone is out. We stroll back to the main area of town for a waffle. We go to the top rated location in town and wait in the line. We get our waffels and they are, meh... I'm glad we had the experience but I could have skipped the powdered sugar mess.

Yep we even saw Manneken Pis, the crowds insane, but we saw one of the most over ratted attractions in the world. As we stroll through the Jewish quarter back to the train station we look at all the Stolpersteine, the numbers of families taken during the Holocaust is staggering. Almost every house has several in front of them. We can never forget.

I'm so glad we came to Brussels. It's a fascinating city and although most people only spend 1.4 days, there is plenty to do for several days. I like the laid back vide, and if you love beer and/or chocolate you can't go wrong. But the architecture and the history is fascinating. It will be interesting to see if Belgium remains Belgium for another 200 years.

Back is Paris, Tyler is tired and wants to go to bed. Marty and I wander the neighborhood for something to eat. We stop into a Pizza joint thinking it isn't busy. The staff is awesome and they put our name on the wall for a table outside and tell us to hit the speakeasy. Yes they have the 113th best rated bar and it's hidden through the cooler and storage room. It's beyond cool. And they even have cocktails sans alcohol. I was beyond excited. We enjoyed the show of the bar staff cranking out the cocktails while sipping on ours.

When our table was ready we enjoyed a tasty pizza and awesome dessert. Yes it's actually after midnight and we're having a blast. The good news is we can sleep in tomorrow. When we get back to the apartment Tyler is dead asleep. Who would have thought us old guys would outlast a 20 year old. Speaking of that it's almost 1 am, time for bed. Tomorrow we finally get to Versailles and the weather is supposed to be awesome again. Bonne nuit.

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[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

A late night/early morning and today we get to rest, or take a day of leisure. We actually got to sleep in until 8:00 am, what a treat. As the sun peaked through the clouds the birds outside sing. I think my alarm recorded the birds as it sounds the same. We're up and ready for the day.

We make our way to the Latin Quarter for a quick stop at a boulangerie for a little breakfast. All though it's starting to drizzle we're going to have a great day. We meet our guide Harry for our walking tour of Paris. He's young and has a passion for the city and the history. He gave us details on facts and information but I really enjoyed his perspective on history and how it relates to today. It even got me thinking, he did a great job of giving multiple versions for you as the participant to draw your own conclusions. In good French fashion, everything good in the last 2,000 years comes from Paris and France. Not really but one persertive.

I enjoyed the stories, especially the thoughts on architecture and the left and right banks. We dove into history from kings to empourerors to revolution and beyond. A theme that inspired me, is that history is alive. We get stuck on trying to just preserve the past, instead of growing it. Look at Notre Dam, it has changed over the centuries and after the historic event of fire three years ago what do you do? Persevere it in the state after the fire, rebuild in the last state before the fire or take the best and improve with today? What would you choose. I had one opinion going into today but thats now changed.

We also made our way through the other parts of Paris and learned more about Napoleon, Napoleon III and Louis XIV and Louis XVI. I really enjoyed this walk. It was insightful and much more than just history but a modern and different perspective on Paris today. Plus Harry gave us a recommendation for lunch. He had me at, "do you mind walking to get out of the tourist area?" We found lunch and it was fantastic. Good company, good food, and a great unique atmosphere. Plus I adore that it didn't cater to English and we had to break out Google Translate. Our Server was beyond nice and helped with our French.

The sun is now shining and Tyler is wanting to stretch his independence and explore on his own. We stroll back to our hotel, the sun is now shining, there is a breeze and it's the perfect spring day in Paris. Marty has a little work to do and I opt for a short nap. The window open and a breeze, with the smell of flowers in the air.

Marty and I then stroll the streets of the Marais and see fantastic shops, cafes, and restaurants. We do pick up some items for the apartment. Look at the time, we have a dinner date!

Tyler is a little late returning and we promptly depart to get to the Metro. A few short stops later and we're there. Now to find her....

OMG! It really is Stacy Karp! Can you believe it's been almost exactly 30 years since we last saw each other? We get settled in and have an amazing time getting to know Paul and Stacy's childhood friend Harriet. What is fun, is we just talk like 30 years hasn't passed. I must admit Stacy is far better at remembering names from the past than I, however I have never forgot the people.

We eat, and talk, and eat, and talk. I do love that in France taking a table for hours is not a big deal. Plus get this, Stacy and Paul will be in Paris for New Years as well. We have another dinner date when we return. What an incredible day, I'm beyond excited to have reconnected in person. It's starting to get late and we have another train journey tomorrow. Tyler is getting good at navigating and he leads us back to our apartment.

Time for a little rest. Thank you Stacy, Paul, and Harriet for a fantastic evening and thank you readers for joining us on our adventures in Europe. Bonne nuit.

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[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

Well, I thought that we would be able to sleep in a little longer today, alas that is not the case. It's 4:30 am and we are up getting ready for another amazing day and another incredible country. I'm excited on so many levels, I've wanted to ride Eurostar for years and we're finally doing it, plus there are sights I've not visited.

We navigate the Metro and it's an easy direct ride to Gar Du Nord. There we find the group waiting for Eurostar. The website recommends 60-90 minutes early for customs and emigration. We went with 60 and truly that is too soon. An observation with France, they don't know how to queue up. We get in line and then people are being sent in all different directions, we get sent to a separate line, that looks a little quicker and is automated. I kind of wanted a UK stamp, but just received my exit from France stamp I my passport.

We grab a quick pain au chocolat and hot tea to wait to board. Well Marty had coffee, Tyler opted for vending machine malted milk balls and a coke, he really does everything possible to not speak to a human, it's interesting. He's also very worried we will miss the train as we sit and enjoy our breakfast, although they have controlled boarding and it's not open yet.

Finally the announcement to board our Eurostar to London. We head down the stairs and find our comfortable coach for the ride. I'm like a little kid, so excited to finally go through the tunnel. I stay awake through the entire ride, Marty takes a much needed nap. We're here in London and I'm thrilled to see proper queues for the underground machines. Off to the tower of London, new for both Marty and Tyler.

It's a typical day in London, some grey skies, light drizzle, and a breeze. We make it to the Tower and I'm so happy we are a week before the jubilee, we have the place to ourselves. We do almost everything you can from the jewels, to tower and of course the 45 minute talk from the Yeomen (beefeater). He is fantastic and brings the history to life with such flair and penosh. Always do the tour when visiting, it's so worth it. After a little over 3 hours we head out.

We're going to make our way to the war rooms, with a stop for a quick bite for lunch. I really like how the entire way along the river is now a path. When we get to the Barbican they have a ton of food trucks and exciting places. We get several stops for pictures of course of Parliament. We can't help but think of National Lampoon's European Vacation with the line, "look kids, big Ben, parliament."

Okay now the war rooms is new to me and I had no idea how much information was in this area. I must confess it is well done, but too much for me. I enjoyed the visit immensely, but dang my dogs are barking. Although we just had lunch a few hours ago it's time for dinner. We stroll over to Buckingham Palace to see all the preparations for the big event next week and have to stop at the Texas Republic marker, after all Tyler does live in Texas.

We walk Picadilly Street, I don't know about this kid. I was telling him how when I was a kid this is where Tower Records was and the punkers hung out and there are a ton of videos. I mentioned Cindy Lauper and he was like, "who's that?" Honestly, that's strike one kid.

Marty thinks let's do a chippy, Tyler has never had Fish and Chips. We find one that is highly rated, Poppy's. Here comes strike number two for this kid, Marty points out Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn on the wall, yes he did, he said, "who's Audrey Hepburn, and why would I know her?" "That's it" I proclaim, we are not related! We really enjoyed dinner and he discovered he likes deep fried Cod. We ended with some sticky toffee pudding. Tyler was worried he wouldn't like it because of the word pudding, yes he scarfed it down.

We then stroll the streets up towards Eckerd. There was a shop he wanted to visit near Tottenham Court. I of course share stories of my college days here and places I use to visit that are now long gone.

To my surprise 12 hours have passed and it's time to head to the station. A moment of panic, they are asking for not only passport but Covid certificate. I didn't even think of that and it's in the hotel room, same with Tyler's. I remember I have my European QR code and Marty and I scan through fine. Tyler has a US QR code and it doesn't scan. We step to the side and a very nice lady calms us down and tells us we have plenty of time, she needs to see the card. It can be a photo, thank goodness. We find his card and she gives us the all clear. Good to remember when leaving the country, bring your proof of vaccination.

With the time change we get back a little after midnight. We have been up and going for 20 hours. Time to crash hard, tomorrow we get to sleep in until 8 am... Good night from Europe or should I say good morning. Thank you for joining us on this adventure. Bonne nuit.

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#selfie #justfrank #urlaub #urlaub2022 #reise #spaß #friendship #adventure #2022 #spring #fernweh @marty.reynoldsohana #may #funtimes #travel #england #london #eurostar

[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

The alarm went off early this morning, 4:30 am wake up time. We have a 6 am departure from Gar Saint-Lazare to Bayeux. It's about two and half hours to get us out to the Normandy coast. We have a short walk to the Metro, but we end up making it a little longer with a wrong turn. Aboard the train we relax and take a little nap as we watch the beautiful French countryside.

In Bayeux we are met by our guide Colin for a day long extravaganza exploring and learning the history of the allied invasion of June 6, 1944. We will be doing, "The Yanks Are Coming" and touring the American sector with Objective D-Day.

We hop in the van and off we go, after our pleasantries and introductions we dive in. Starting to learn about the Airborne Sector. I really enjoy the stories and the amount of detail and information is incredible. Traveling with Tyler that knows all the makes and models of the weapons and vehicles is a great match. I just use terms like plane, tank, and boat. We have so many places to see today, we start with the German cemetery.

There is truly so much symbolism with every item, tree, and design. Although this cemetery is dark, with dark black and grey granite markers, there is something beautiful about the space. I like the thought that people are not baried alone, there are two soldiers per grave. We stroll the grounds with a large group of school children that have arrived. It's good to see them learning about this part of history. We will see this group and so many more at other locations today.

Next up: St. Mere Eglise - The town which is synonymous with the movie The Longest Day, we learn the true story of how the American Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne liberated the first town in the American sector on June 6, 1944 and the key role the town was to play in the coming days. This also gives some time for souvenir shopping, while Marty and I enjoy the warmth of the sunshine and a nice chocolate croissant.

Enroute to our next stop we learn about Hedgerows - Terrain is crucial to the understanding of any military engagement and the hedgerows were particularly abundant in the Normandy countryside making any movement precarious and dangerous. We discover how the allies adapted their techniques to overcome these natural obstacles. It is interesting how different systems can envoke some great creativity.

Our first beach of the day, Utah Beach - One of 2 beaches that formed the American sector on D-day and the crucial role it played in securing the allied foothold on the continent is often overlooked. We see why it was so crucial to the allied successes and the key decisions that made it a success for the men of the 4th Infantry Division. Here Tyler geeks out with an upclose tank and photo opportunity. I love that Colin thought of everything and has a reservation for lunch at Le Roosevelt. The staff are freindly and the food is typical French quick service. The theme is fun and reminds me of some of the war restaurants in Hawaii.

After lunch it's time for Pointe du Hoc - One of the most famous stories of the D-day landings is that of the US Rangers scaling the cliffs at the Pointe du Hoc to neutralise the gun battery. There are twists and turns aplenty, like a modern thriller. The stories are fascinating, but seeing the torn up turrein was wild. The holes are still there from the bombing. The bunkers and tunnels still in tact, then to see the cliffs the Rangers had to climb. Wow. Here we run into a class of 5th graders, they are having a blast climbing through this area.

Now to the beach in all the movies, Omaha Beach - 2 American Divisions landed on Omaha Beach on the morning of D-day, the 1 st and the 29th and the men began their personal battles for survival and success of the Allied landings. We hear the tale of the trials, tribulations, sacrifice and ultimate success that secured Omaha Beach for the Allies. This was one fortified beach, and the stories are memorizing.

Time to head to the high ground for the conclusion of today's sights, American Cemetery and Memorial (Normandy) - What better way to finish our tour than the chance to pay our respects to the men and women who paid the ultimate price for the liberation of Western Europe. Beautiful, the trees, the perfectly lined up rows, the chapel, and museum, all coupled with views of Omaha Beach and the English Chanel. We spend an hour and a half here and could have spent even more time. We witnessed the flag retreat ceremony at the end of the day as they played Taps.

I can't believe 12 hours has come and gone. It's time to say farewell to Colin as we grab a bite from the corner cafe for the ride back to Paris. People have been so freindly and warm, and I love that the proprietor was teaching us some French as well. I thought Tyler was going to die when we handed him money and told him to go pay the tab. He did it, but tried hard not to. Why is it so hard for some people to talk to someone in the service industry?

The sun setting as we travel back. I have some time to look at all the photos from the day. It's been an incredible day, and although I enjoy history, I'm not very interested in singular battles and equipment. Today was fascinating and I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to experience Normandy. I can't recommend it enough when visiting France and if you have time and interest there is a day two to learn even more. Make sure you visit Colin when going, I've learned a semesters worth of material in a 12 hour day and had fun doing it.

Now it's time for some rest. We covered 280 miles by train, 70 miles by car, and 5.5 miles by foot. Let's see what tomorrow is like, it's another early morning as we head to London. Bonne nuit.

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[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

Oh how good sleeping felt, we crashed out and before I knew it, morning had arrived. Today, Marty has to do some work, so we all enjoy a hearty breakfast at Holybelly. Wow, what an unexpected surprise, the savory pancakes with eggs and bacon were so delicious and the house made jasmine green iced tea was tasty. We left very full, very satisfied and ready for a busy day exploring Paris. Time to split up, Marty to the hotel and Tyler and I off in the city.

Next up musée de l'armée invalides, yes a war museum. Not on my typical museum line up, but Tyler is fascinated with war history. I have now seen all different instruments of war from the middle ages to today. This is also the tomb on Napoleon and there is a large section on the period from the revolution to WWI and WWII. I'm kind of surprised that it only took a little over three hours to cover this monster complex. I'm also a little relieved that a lot was in French or we may still be there as he reads every detail on every item.

The grounds and architecture are beautiful and although it's a rainy spring day, we finish in an outdoor cafe for some treats. This is something I adore in my travels, relaxation time. A nice patio, a beautiful view, a treat and some warm tea. I've discovered that a 20 year old doesn't appreciate the down time as much and so we're off. He didn't give me much guidance other than let's walk Paris.

I'm always happy to wonder the streets, see the sights, and perhaps find a hidden gem. We did a lot of wondering and with his first time we wondered to all the sights, first as it was right around the corner La Tour Eiffel. We did silly pictures that he wanted nothing to do with, we walked the gardens and took in the view from all angels. Tyler had no desire to go up, so we enjoyed the sights from the ground.

We walked across the river and saw so many people in the middle of the street taking pictures. I was a little surprised with this as traffic is moving at a good clip, but it is fun to people watch. Some people took some very unique photos. We walked up the steps and saw more views and more pictures.

From there we strolled to L'arc de Triomphe. This was hysterical, we walked through the tunnel to get close and because there was a line for tickets for people to climb to the top, he though we couldn't go outside and see the monument. I made him and I'm happy to say I was right, you can walk around it and see all the details. He had no desire to climb it so we just posed for more pictures. I'm kind of annoying but we have to have proof we were here.

Then to stroll the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. We came across two of my favorites: Tiffany & Co (nothing bad can ever happen at Tiffany) and of course Disney Store (I couldn't find any Paris exclusive merchandise). With shopping complete we stroll down to the Tuileries Gardens and finally end our walk at the Louvre. At this point it's time to head to the hotel to retrieve Marty. Plus someone advised he didn't mean to walk this much...

I advise that we should walk, and that was met with a very defiant no, so onto the Metro we go. Back at the hotel we find a small restaurant around the corner and make a quick reservation for dinner with Marty. La Vache Acrobate did not disappoint. This small five table bar and restaurant served up some delicious food, so much so we even opted for dessert. Now that we are stuffed and tired, we did get 24,000 steeps or 8.8 miles of walking in, it's time for bed.

Back at the hotel we make plans for our very early train in the morning to Normandy. We've got a full day of seeing a lot of history with a guide Gretchen recommended, Colin. Good night from Europe. Thanks for joining us on this adventure. Bonne nuit.

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#selfie #justfrank #urlaub #urlaub2022 #reise #spaß #friendship #adventure #2022 #spring #fernweh @marty.reynoldsohana #may #funtimes #travel #france #paris

[frankwestpfahl]

Bonjour mes amis,

A little over two years ago we were packed, we were checked in and getting ready for Tyler's senior year spring break trip to Europe. That evening the president announced the boarder was closing. After a 10 hour hold with Delta, everything was cancelled to go at a later date. Fast forward to a little over a year ago, we were booked and getting ready for the trip, optimistic that France would open in May. Nope, a little too soon, still closed. We then booked this trip and the time is now. We will be based in Paris and be seeing Normandy, London, Brussels, and the city and sourounding areas of Paris. It's going to be fun and exciting and a lot of firsts for all of us now on to our newest adventure, Europe with a 20 year old.

Off to the airport, we're so lucky to have nonstop service to Paris. It wouldn't be a trip without running into people on the Sky Club. We chat with John and Dixie, they are going to have an amazing time on the Danube, I can't wait to hear their stories. The flight was easy and uneventful, considering an hour delay we arrived only 15 minutes late. Charles De Gaulle is a little confusing for a lot of people, especially us. We get through and find the ticket office to get our week pass, we need a picture and that is another adventure on to my itself. Ticket in hand we're ready to hit it, oh wait, no train service from the airport today, down to the bus to catch the train.

At the hotel we check our bags and pack a back pack. We can't let jet lag win and we board another train for Disneyland Paris. I'm so excited it's the 30th anniversary and I haven't been in over 23 years. We arrive and Marty is a little hangry so we grab a quick meal on Disney Village, nothing says France more than Earl of Sandwich.

Refreshed and ready it's time for the park. We make our way into Disneyland. Tyler isn't giving us a lot of direction on what he would like to see, but we timed it right for the wicked cute Dream... And Shine Brighter show. So adorable, it almost feels like the 30th here is more celebrated than the 50th at World, but very different and I love it. We head to Discoveryland and Marty and Tyler do Hyperspace Mountain and they both love it!

After a competitive Buz Lightyear Laser Blast (Marty won) we hit Fantasyland and Alice's Curious Labyrinth (so cute). We check out Frontierland and Adventureland. Pirates was down so we did Phantom Manor, I got Tyler good, he screamed in the chamber with no walls and doors. I'm still giggling.

He then wanted to hit Disney Studios for Ratatouille, a personal favorite of mine. He wanted to do RC Racer in Worlds of Pixar until he saw it. That was a hard pass. We did a simple dinner in the park. Exhausted we didn't get to stay for Illuminations but hope to get there next week.

Tyler falls asleep on the train back to Paris. We get to the hotel with almost 20,000 steps (6.7 miles) in today, an overnight flight (4,212 miles), and some train travel (44 miles). It's time to get some rest, tomorrow is a leisure day to explore Paris and a museum Tyler really wants to visit. Bonne nuit de Paris, rejoignez-nous demain notre aventure continue.

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